The Cave
by Tina Eirien
Summary: Pippin is lost. Merry is very worried and aks Frodo for help...


Hello. Here´s my newest story. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews for my older stories! I hope you´ll enjoy this one too. :-)

I do not own any of the characters. This is just for fun. No copyright infringement intended.

The Cave

A knock woke Frodo. He got out of bed, walked to the door while he wiped his eyes, unlocked it and opened.

"Good morning!", greeted Pippin with a bright smile.

"Morning.", murmured Frodo. "What are you doing here so early?"

"It´s already eight o´clock! And there´s something that we have to talk about."

Frodo sighed and followed Pippin to the kitchen, where he already had started to fill water in the teakettle and tried to place it over the fire. Frodo helped his 13 year old cousin, then he sat down on the wooden bench while Pippin continued to bring food, plates and mugs to the table. Frodo often had tried to tell the young lad that he didn´t have to set the table, but it was the first thing Pippin did when he arrived at Bagend. Of course he also expected the large meal the two had afterwards.

"What do you want to talk about?", asked Frodo.

"Next saturday is Merrys birthday. And I want to give him a special gift this year. You know that he gave me my scarf for my birthday."

"Yes, and he´s very happy that you like it.", answered Frodo.

"Do you have an idea what I could give him?"

"If you want to give him something special, then the idea should come from you, Pippin. The main thing is that it comes from heart."

Pippin brought some slices of bread to the table and sat down.

"I was wondering where you always get your mathoms from..."

Frodo smiled. He knew Pippin loved the mathoms he gave him in the past years - a yo-yo, a wooden sword, a kite...

"They were made by a craftsman in Bree."

"Oh! Bree! But I can´t go to Bree...", he said low.

"Merry will also be happy about something you made him. Don´t you have an idea?"

A big smile grew on Pippins face and he nodded. "I have an idea!"

"That´s good.", said Frodo and raised to take the kettle from the fire. "Do you want me to help you?"

"No! It´s going to be a surprise!" Frodo grinned and poured them some water in a cup.  
  
Later that day, it knocked again at the door of Bagend. Frodo opened.

"Hello Merry!"

"Frodo, have you seen Pippin?" He was visibly worried.

"He visited me this morning, but he left after breakfast."

"I can´t find him and his parents are worried... he hasn´t shown up for dinner."

"Pippin would never miss dinner..."

Merry nodded. "Did he tell you what he was going to do today?"

Frodo shook his head. "He was talking to me about your birthday party, that he´s looking forward to it. But he did not tell me where he wanted to go."

Merry sighed. "I have to find him..."

"I´ll help you. We can split up."

"Thank you."  
  
Merry was on his way to the last place where he supposed Pippin - the little cave the two had discovered a year before. He had forbidden Pippin to go there alone... the cave was at the shore of a small lake and though it was beautiful, the stones inside where wet and slippery and a young lad like Pippin was careless... Merry made his way to the entrance of the cave and crouched down to get inside. Once inside, he was able to stand upright again and allowed his eyes to get used to the dark.

"Pippin?", he called and listened. A moment later, he froze - there was a low whimper.

"Pippin? Are you here?", he called louder.

"Merry?", came a quiet answer.

He couldn´t figure out where it came from, the walls reflected Pippins call. Merrys heart began to beat faster. He took some more steps on the wet stones and was looking around.

"Where are you?", he shouted in panic.

"Merry!" This time he supposed it came from the back of the cave. He ran in that direction and spotted Pippin in a dark corner.

"My gosh! Pippin, are you allright?" He arrived at his cousins side and saw what had happened. The little hobbit´s leg was trapped between two rocks. Pippins clothes were soaked from the water that was dropping down from the ceiling and covering the floor, and he shivered from the cold.

"I´m sorry!", he said.

"It´s allright.", answered Merry fast.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little bit... I slipped and then the stone slid... and I can´t get it off.", Pippin explained with a shaky voice.

"I´m sure we can get it off. I´m going to search a branch so I can lift the rock a bit."

Pippin grabbed Merrys arm. "You will come back soon, won´t you?"

"I won´t go far. I promise I´ll be back in a minute."

Pippin nodded.  
  
Merry tried to recognize something in the semi-darkness of the cave. He needed to find a stick, branch - or better a beam...

"Merry?", Pippin called from the back of the cave.

"I´m searching...", he answered and approached the entrance. He´d find what he needed outside. A heavy rain had started and it was dark, but after a while he finally found a thick branch. He ran back inside and was at Pippins side a minute later. He noticed that the floor was now covered in water - and it was rising.

"It´s raining outside...", he said to the shivering Pippin.

"And why is then the water going higher here? Inside?", he asked.

"The groundwater gets higher..." Merry placed the branch under the rock and tried to push it up. But it didn´t move. He tried again, with all his strength, but the rock was too heavy. "I´ll be right back. I need a longer branch." He ran back outside. A few minutes later he found another branch and he returned to Pippin. He had to wade through the water, which was rising fast.

"Merry, the water isn´t stopping!", Pippin exclaimed.

"I know!" The water had reached Pippins chest. Merry placed the branch under the rock once more and pushed. It moved!

"Try to pull your leg out!"

Pippin shifted his position and after a while, he managed to get free. Merry supported him and together they limped back to the entrance... only that this was now flooded.

"We have to dive to get outside.", said Merry.

"But - I can´t swim!"

"You have to! Take my hand and don´t let go! Allright? I´ll pull you through."

Pippin nodded.

"On three. Take a deep breath! One, two, three!"

The two dove and Merry pulled his cousin through the entrance-tunnel. Once outside, he helped Pippin to the shore. Out of breath, the two lay in the rain.  
  
"I´m sorry.", said Pippin after a while.

Merry sat up and looked at his cousin. "What were you doing in there? I told you it´s not safe!"

Pippin coughed. "I wanted to go and get something..."

"And what is in there that´s worth risking your life?"

Pippin pulled something out of his pocket.

"These stones...", he answered.

Merry recognized them and began to understand.

"Oh, Pip..."

"You... you liked them so much! And I wanted to give you something special for your birthday..."

Merry laid an arm around his cousins shoulder and took one of the stones. It was a little crystal that had formed on one of the Stalagnites. He remembered that he had told Pippin that he loved crystals. That he wished he´d own one. Only that he never had the idea to break some off these Stalagnites!

"That is a beautiful present, Pippin.", he said.

"Really?", asked Pippin and smiled.

"Of course! But promise me that you´ll never do anything dangerous like that again!"

„But it´s special...", said Pippin.

Merry hugged him. "Yes! It´s very special. But everything I get from you is special. Just promise me, okay?"

Pippin nodded. Merry released him from the hug and smiled. "Thank you!", he said and gave the crystal back to Pippin. "I hope I´ll get them wrapped in one of your handmade wrapping-paper?"

"Of course!"

"Allright, then let´s go back home!"


End file.
